Comparison

SFY vs CommBoards

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SFY

Experience the full capabilities of an advanced Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app for 30 days. This trial allows users to explore extensive vocabulary, programming options, and helpful features to assess communication improvement before committing to the full version.

Highlights
  • 30-day free trial
  • Full vocabulary access (~5000 words)
  • Full programming capabilities
  • Search and history features
  • Hold That Thought feature
  • Voice options
Features
Read full description

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS IS NOT A SUBSCRIPTION! AFTER THE 30 DAYS, IT JUST STOPS WORKING. You don't have to cancel it...YOU AREN'T GOING TO BE CHARGED. If Speak for Yourself is the right choice, purchase the full version! It’s FINALLY here! This is the answer to everyone who has been hesitant to purchase the full version of Speak for Yourself without being able to try it. SFY-Lite 2.0 (and above) gives you access to the full Speak for Yourself app capabilities* for a 30 day FREE trial!  SfY-Lite includes access to the almost 5000 word vocabulary, full programming capabilities, the unparalleled search feature, history feature, Hold That Thought, and voice options. By doing this, AAC users, SLPs, other professionals, and family members are able to use the intuitive programming and features of Speak for Yourself and access the library of almost 11,000 Smarty Symbols®. SFY-Lite is not intended to be an individual's permanent AAC language system. It was designed to determine if an individual is able to access the button size, activate the buttons, and use Speak for Yourself to improve communication.  The free trial will only last for 30 days. After the 30 days, it will go back to the static main screen where it started. HOWEVER, you will be able to access your history data and your vocabulary file, even after the trial ends. That means that any of your programming and customization will be saved so that you can transfer it into the full version. Speak for Yourself was designed by two ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with an extensive knowledge of AAC devices and implementation. We're very excited to give EVERYONE the ability to have the full functionality of Speak for Yourself in their hands and homes for free! You have nothing to lose and every reason to take 30 days and give it a try. With the release of a new and improved SFY-Lite, we invite you to join us in our mission to change the world...one voice at a time. *The only features that are not available in SfY-Lite are Acapela premium voice offered in the full version as in-app purchases and multi-user capabilities (the full version can hold 40 different user vocabulary files).

About

CommBoards

This communication app helps individuals with speech challenges express themselves using personalized boards. Users can upload personal images and record messages in familiar voices, creating an unlimited number of customizable communication boards. It's designed for individuals, therapists, and educators.

Highlights
  • Personalized image uploads
  • Record messages in familiar voices
  • Create unlimited communication boards
  • Customizable button sizes, layouts, and colors
  • User-friendly interface
  • Suitable for individuals, therapists, and educators
Features
Read full description

Give your nonverbal child a voice. CommBoards turns taps on pictures into spoken sentences: "I want an apple," "my stomach hurts," "I love you, mom." No more guessing what they need. READY IN MINUTES • Ready-made boards for food, drinks, feelings, body, people, places and more • Tap pictures to build a full sentence, then hear it spoken out loud • Simple enough for a first-time AAC user MADE FOR YOUR CHILD • Record mom's, dad's or a sibling's voice on any button • Add your own photos of favorite foods, toys and family • Change any word, picture or color • Grows with your child, from 2 to 11 buttons per row BUILT FOR EVERYDAY LIFE • Works offline, at home, at school and on the go • 15+ languages • Save favorite sentences as quick phrases • iPhone and iPad WHO IT'S FOR Children and adults with autism (ASD), apraxia of speech, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, speech delay, aphasia and stroke recovery. Used by parents, teachers and speech-language pathologists. Helping families communicate for over 10 years. Start your free trial today. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

SFY4 screens
CommBoards4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CommBoards at every 4 days against SFY's every 52 months. SFY's advantage is review sentiment (58% vs 33%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SFY sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CommBoards sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CommBoards holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 151 and 96 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of SFY's written reviews are positive against 33% of CommBoards's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SFY ships an update every 52 months, CommBoards every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
SFY versus CommBoards: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSFYCommBoards
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (151 ratings)4.3 (96 ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.3% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings151 — better96
Update frequencyEvery 52 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.6
Further details — not scored
Size1.4 GB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpeak for Yourself LLCDana Fridman

Customer experience

SFY

All ratings150 ratings
Positive77.3%
Neutral4.7%
Negative18.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive58.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative41.7%

CommBoards

All ratings94 ratings
Positive83.0%
Neutral5.3%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SFY

One-time1
  • 30-day TrialFree
3 purchases

CommBoards

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime access$99.99

Questions

Is SFY free?
SFY is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CommBoards free?
CommBoards is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SFY or CommBoards?
CommBoards is rated higher. SFY averages 4.2 out of 5 from 151 ratings, while CommBoards averages 4.3 from 96 ratings.
Do SFY or CommBoards have ads?
Neither SFY nor CommBoards shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SFY or CommBoards?
SFY ships an update every 52 months, and CommBoards every 4 days. Most recently, SFY was updated on October 22, 2026 and CommBoards on October 23, 2026.

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